The Columbus
Empowerment Zone is defined as a 21-census tract region that
contains 13.96 square miles and a population of
approximately 64,000 - 9.98 percent of Columbus' 1990
population. Current Census data seems to indicate that the
Empowerment Zone population has shrunk 13% since 1990 to
approximately 54,000.

The Compact currently relies on 1990 and 2000 Census
information and projections from national demographics firm
Claritas.

The Empowerment
Zone incorporates all of the original Enterprise Community
tracts plus three new tracts. Two of these tracts were added
to maintain the continuity of their neighborhoods. The third
area added is located on the west side of downtown Columbus
(Franklinton) and has recently become the beneficiary of a
floodwall that will prevent future flooding and thereby
increase the attractiveness of the area for revitalization.

Empowerment Zone census tracts were chosen based on the
following criteria:

• Level of economic distress
• Opportunity potential
• Programmatic and functional integration with areas in the
Enterprise Community
• The geography of neighborhood identity
• Contiguity with existing Enterprise Community boundaries
• Maximizing the total number of persons benefiting from
Empowerment Zone status
• Extending benefits to neighborhoods not included in the
1994 Enterprise Community

These areas
were included to:

Extend the Empowerment Zone to incorporate the
development opportunities along the Main Street and
Livingston Avenue corridors to leverage additional resources
along these major commercial districts.

The Main Street area has seen a great deal of revitalization
over the past seven years through
the Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization (NCR) initiative.
The City of Columbus recently completed its capital
improvement project along Livingston Avenue.

Add the Franklinton area, which now presents a significant
opportunity for economic revitalization due to the
construction of a floodwall, the new Center of Science and
Industry (COSI) the Columbus Arena District and additional
Riverfront Development.

The Empowerment Zone is geographically located within seven
Franklin County zip codes: